Spark-owned Mattr wins NSW government digital ID gig

A subsidiary of NZ telco Spark has been appointed technology partner for the New South Wales government's Digital ID and Verifiable Credentials program. 

Mattr will provide products that enable verifiable credentials to be issued, via the NSW government's apps, and independently verified by third parties, helping people prove who they are, what they are eligible for and limiting the amount of personal information required.

"Our verifiable credentials solution helps organisations who are looking for ways to create confidence in digital interactions,” Mattr chief executive officer Dr Claire Barber said.

“We apply data minimisation principles that enable individuals to share the information they need to, without oversharing, and which avoid the creation of unnecessary data 'honeypots' that can then be targeted by bad actors.”

Verifiable credentials can be used for a variety of different uses, from qualifications and course completion certificates to personal identity credentials, entitlement cards, licences, permits, insurance documents, company credentials and more. 

Held in applications on the individual's device, these allow them to conveniently prove things about themselves, without having to locate documents, use notary services, or turn up in person to get things done.

The NSW government's NSW Digital ID and Verifiable Credentials program uses Mattr solutions Mattr VII and Mattr Pi, which provide the tools to support the verifiable credential ecosystem.

Established in 2019, Mattr is backed by NZX-listed Spark but operates as a standalone company. Most prominently, it provided the New Zealand government’s vaccine pass used during the COVID-19 pandemic.